An Indian Railways Sunset

Narayana

Anagahs first steps

Stay tuned for more...

VIDEOS!!!

Test

Only because I can....

The summer was 2003...Adelaide, the game we won...




...ok, so i'm living in the past, cos 3 of them are no longer in the one day team, but they're minor details right? ;)

My Town

As seems to be the thing to do, here is a mini-comeback post...which doesn't say much, except for that my town, Sydney is the best in the world and i'm glad to be here!

The end...

With the pics of Varanasi, that pretty much brought an end to the travelling around India. From there, I went to Patna in Bihar, for just one night, to watch the soccer (that was world cup time) and then caught a monster 36 hour train to Dadar station in Bombay. For the next month or so, I shopped, waded in knee high water, caught Bombay trains pre and post blasts (they were exactly the same), hung out in Pune for a little while, and then Thirupati, and Bangalore, all in the comforting arms of relatives.

Having landed back in Sydney, I felt nothing changed. Had I changed? Probably, but nothing blantant on the outside. Inside, I think, the subtle choices I make reflect the great impact India has had on me. Interesting, huh, that spending so long in a country so different from what I was ever used to, boils down to non-perceivable choices in day to day lives.

I think also, the direction I want my life to take has also been influenced, though this has been a work in progress over many years under the influence of many factors.

SO what am I doing now? Sad to say, but its the rat race. I have been temping at a place called Super Partners for the last 3 weeks, and will finish up tomorrow, only to start with Colonial First State on Monday, wearing a suit and tie, and running for trains etc.

Not a day has gone by when my mind doesn't drift back to India, to the friends, the people, the places and experiences. I relive them through the pictures I took (incidentally, the camera which travelled most of the journey and took all the pics, has died a in the watery grave of Pacific), the sights i saw, and the aromas which perculated about.

I have been quite awful at keeping in touch, but I promise to do so.

At this stage, I'll probably take a break from blogging for a little while. Don't know if i will return or reincarnate at another site at another time...

Thank you all for your comments and support...it really did provide a great deal of support on the road...if you do want to contact me, try this: hrishi2000@hotmail.com

Hrishi

Benares

 

Gwalior II

On the road up to the fort one encounters numerous statues which are very much like those at Ajanta and Ellora.
A temple within the fort.
More intricate carvings.
Another more modern palace, which these is quite popular with Bollywood.
Wish the pic was clearer, but essentially, this was the barracks for the soldiers and their horses.
The Gwalior fort is layered with tunnels and caverns and technology. The was an underground meeting place for the queens of the palace. There's another roon below this, and connecting the two is a shoot through which people in the two rooms can communicate. The fort also has many tunnels leading of to Agra and Red Fort in Delhi.

Gwalior I

Peacock carvings... The road up to the fort.
The seemingly massive walls of the outter fort.
Gwalior city from the heights of the fort
The main palace at Gwalior. The blue on the walls is the original paint, when the fort was built. Curiously the facade also has illustrations of ducks!

Agra Fort

Fatehpur Sikhri

The ideas of Akbar were once beautifully manifested in this planned city. Today what remains are ruins, but only in name. Well worth a look (though not in summer!)...

Delhi: Random

Delhi: Raj Ghat

Delhi: Jama Masjid

Delhi: Humayun's Tomb II